i will dance with cinderella, while she is here in my arms
by gleefulmia
Summary: She giggles happily and he has to remember to hold back tears as he realizes how grown up she is getting. He knows she's only four but still, she's grown so fast and soon she won't need him to show her how to dance anymore. She's already a natural, just like her mother.


I Will Dance With Cinderella, While She Is Here In My Arms

Hey everyone! I am new to writing Once Upon a Time fanfiction, but definitely not new to the show, I just thought I'd finally give writing a try again. This is just a short one-shot slightly based on the song Cinderella by Stephen Curtis Chapman which is an all time favourite of mine. Hope you enjoy and if you could please leave a review that would be amazing :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing, the show or its characters. I just do this for fun :)

Author's Note: This is an AU fic set in the Fairytale Universe where Charming and Snow raised Emma.

I

David sighs for what feels like the hundredth time that evening. He's buried in mounds of paperwork and has been for days now. With Snow visiting Ella and Thomas' kingdom after the birth of their new daughter Alexandra, he's been stuck here trying to work and watch their 4 year old daughter, Emma. Snow had offered to take Emma with her, but when the little girl suddenly came down with a cold just a day before their scheduled departure, they both decided it would be best if she stayed with him to avoid getting the newborn sick. Normally they have a governess to watch over Emma when they have work to do, but he had given Sarah the night off.

It's still early in the evening and David knows if he tries to make Emma go to bed now she will throw an absolute fit (and given that she inherited both his and her mother's stubborn tendencies, that's a mighty big fit). He looks up to where the little girl is playing with her dolls, set up at a small table crafted by Geppeto that came complete with a tiny set of chairs for her to have tea parties with. Emma must feel him watching her because at that moment she looks up at her father and gives her one of her beaming smiles, a smile identical to his very own. Her green eyes are sparkling with mischief, something inherited from her mother, as she suddenly bounds over to him.

"Daddy!" She exclaims as she throws her arms out, letting him know to be prepared to catch her. He is more than ready as he quickly sets the paper he had been going over down, and catches his little girl, lifting her onto his lap and kissing her tiny cheek.

"What are you up to, Princess?" He asks, noticing her overwhelming enthusiasm.

"I gots invited to a ball." She tells him excitedly bouncing on his lap.

"You did? And which ball is that?" He questions, because there aren't any balls coming up that he's aware of.

"Prince Teddy." She says as if he should just know.

He bites back a laugh when he realizes exactly what kind of ball she is talking about. Prince Teddy is her imaginary friend.

"Well I'm sure it's going to be the best ball ever then."

The little girl nods her head. "I'll get dressed up just like you and Momma do for your balls and I'll dance and everything."

"I'm sure you will Miss Emma." He says with a grin on his face.

Her excitement then quickly takes a downturn as she looks down at her lap.

"What is it, Em?" David asks concerned.

Emma looks up at him and he notices tears are welling in her eyes. He reaches up to wipe then gently.

"I don't know how to dance like you and Momma do. I don't even know how to dance a little." She says solemnly.

"Well, we will just have to correct that then won't we?" He asks her. "Do you want Daddy to show you how to dance?"

She nods her head emphatically at that suggestion. "Oh please Daddy! Please!"

David smiles and picks her up off his lap as he takes them to her room where there is more space and she has a special little music box that she received as a gift from her Aunt Red.

He places her down, winds the music box up and then walks over to where she stands and shows her how to properly stand on his feet so she won't get stepped on. He shows her a few steps and pretty soon she is catching on as he leads her around the room. She giggles happily and he has to remember to hold back tears as he realizes how grown up she is getting. He knows she's only four but still, she's grown so fast and soon she won't need him to show her how to dance anymore. She's already a natural, just like her mother.

He looks down and sees her rubbing her eyes with one hand as the other clings on to him. It's the first tell-tale sign that she's on the verge of sleep. He picks her up and lets her place her head on his shoulder as he kisses her temple. He's about to take her to change into her nightgown when she shrieks and tells him she's not ready for bed.

"Just one more song, Daddy, please." She begs him and he smiles to himself as he continues to sway with her until she falls asleep, perfectly content to just live in this moment forever.

II

"Charming, don't you think you're being a little ridiculous?" Snow asks her husband as she follows him up the stairs to their bedroom. "It's just one ball, it's not like she's getting married or anything."

David rolls his eyes. "It's not the ball I'm worried about Snow, it's him."

Snow smirks as she realizes what his problem is. "Oh so it's not the ball you're saying no to, it's the boy."

"Yes!" He says emphatically.

"You haven't even met him yet David." Snow says and he grimaces. She only calls him David when she's frustrated or angry.

"I know enough. He wants my little girl and he's not getting to her." David says with a tone of finality that means he thinks the conversation is over.

"Now is not the time for you to become overprotective. Emma is nearly 18 years old and she's at a perfectly respectable age to become interested in young men. We gave her the freedom to choose who she wants to be with and she has." Snow reminds him.

"You...you gave her that freedom. I had no say if I recall."

"Don't you want our daughter to have what we have? True love?" Snows asks and he sighs because he knows where this is heading. Yes of course he wants that for his daughter, but she's still so young.

Snow can see she's getting through to him and gives him a smug look. He knows she's been preparing herself for this very conversation for years now and he knows he can only give her the satisfaction of being right if he ever wants Emma to talk to him again.

They hear a knock at the door as Emma pokes her head in. "Mom, Dad?" She asks.

"Come in, Em." Snow smiles at her daughter, reassuring her that it's ok with just a look.

Emma lets a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. "Dad, did you come to your senses?" She asks.

David rolls his eyes good naturedly. "Yes Princess, I did."

"So I can go with Killian to the ball?" She nearly squeals with happiness.

"Only if we can meet him first." David tells her.

Her face drops for a minute but then she seems to think it over and nods. "Don't worry Daddy, he's a nice guy, you'll like him."

"As long as he treats you well."

Emma nods and then her head drops again.

"What is it Emma?" Snow asks as she lifts her daughter's chin with her hand.

"I was wondering..." She trails off and he notices, not for the first time, exactly how similar she is to him.

"Use yours words Em." Snow reminds her gently.

"I was wondering if Dad would show me some more dances, like he did when I was younger, only this time I won't be stepping on his feet." Emma looks him in the eye and it's all he can do not to tear up. His daughter still needs him for something.

"Of course I'll show you Emma." He swallows. "I'd be honored to."

The smile Emma gives him is entirely worth it. For that smile he'd move mountains.

When the day of the ball arrives, David sees the way Emma and Killian look at one another and is reminded of the way he and Snow still look at each other. It's also another reminder that his little girl is not such a little girl anymore and soon she won't be at all. For now, he just watches her doing some kind of crazy dance with her mother and some of the other girls from the Court and he sees the beautiful girl, no woman, she's turning into.

III

Emma runs through the halls of the castle she has called home for the last twenty years of her life. She knows it's not lady-like or princess-like to run, but she needs to find her parents.

She manages to find them in the Council room seeming to be in deep conversation.

"Mom, Dad." She's fit to burst.

"Emma?" Her parents say simultaneously, not having seen her this excited over something in years.

"He did it, he finally did it." She says and holds up her hand.

Snow shrieks and bounds over to her daughter, grabbing her left hand and holding it up to study the sparkling diamond on her finger.

"Oh Emma, it's beautiful." Her mother says, clearly impressed.

Emma smiles gratefully and looks over to where her father sits, still looking shocked.

"Daddy?" She asks, trying to break him out of his trance.

David visibly gulps as he comes to terms with what's happening right in front of him. "He proposed?" It comes out more a statement than a question.

Emma nods, not sure what else to say.

"And you said yes?"

Emma again nods her head.

"But you're so young." David says.

Snow shakes her head at her husbands antics. "Charming, she's 20 years old. She and Killian have been seeing one another for 2 years now, we knew this day was coming. He has been perfectly respectable of us as well as our daughter and I know he came to you months ago to ask your permission. So why are you so surprised?"

"Is that true Dad?" Emma asks sounding equal parts confused and surprised.

David slowly nods his head. "It is."

"And you gave him your blessing I assume?" Emma questions sounding more and more like her mother.

"I did."

"Then what is it? Are you not happy for me?" His not-so-little-girl asks.

"Of course I am sweetie, it's just I wasn't expecting it to be this soon. It's going to take some getting used to is all." David gives her a reassuring smile.

Emma beams again and runs to him throwing her arms around him. She pulls away after a few moments to show him her ring. He has to admit, it's beautiful. Killian did a great job picking it out for her, it's not to big or too small. It's the perfect size for Emma, the perfect size for his princess.

Emma takes a seat across from him and Snow to discuss things further.

"The weddings in six months." Emma tells them.

"Wait it's that soon?" David asks.

"Charming." Snow says exasperatedly.

"Yes it is, we wanted a spring wedding." She explains. "And I'm really hoping you'll agree to dance with me. It's kind of a tradition for us now."

He knows she's trying to ease him into things by giving him something to look forward to, and also a reminder that while she might not need him there for her all the time now, there are still some things she wants him to be there for. She is still her Daddy's girl and she always will be. She may be gone, but she'll never really be that far away.

"Of course I will, Princess."


End file.
